Some random sports thoughts to keep you warm on these cold, cold nights

You want trends? I got trends...

--With all the postponements caused by recent weather, you have to give big credit to Dover High School, St. Thomas Aquinas and Oyster River and their ADs, Peter Wotton, Ryan Brown and Corey Parker, respectively, for making the girls hockey game work last Monday night.

Originally, Hanover was to visit St. Thomas/Dover, but opted not to make the drive. With STA/Dover facing what would have seemed like its 100th weather postponement of the season so far, Oyster River stepped in on short notice to play, making up their game from the previous Thursday, which was also disrupted by weather. Oyster River won 4-1, showing no ill effects of being thrust into playing an actual game when they had only been preparing for practice.

--Hat tricks are all the rage these days on the local hockey scene. On Wednesday night there were three recorded by local players: Gabbi Dodier of the STA/Dover girls in a 9-2 win at Concord; Brent Phillips of Spaulding in a 6-2 win over Oyster River; and Cam Crowley of the Dover boys in a 7-1 rout of Somersworth/Coe-Brown. Crowley's hat trick was his second of the season.

Other hat tricks since the start of 2014 belong to Matt Willows of the University of New Hampshire men in a 6-3 win over Nebraska-Omaha; Ty Turgeon of the St. Thomas boys in a 4-2 win over Bishop Guertin; and Rose Mroczka and Sandra Strogen of the Oyster River girls in a 7-0 win over Souhegan.

--The only two NHL players to thrice play in an outdoor game? Ty Conklin and James van Riemsdyk, both former UNH players.

--Why do high school hockey teams bother with introducing the starting lineup and playing the national anthem before games? Given how expensive ice time is, and the fact that they don't clear the ice between warmups and the start of the first period (like they do in college and the pros), you'd think they'd skip the ceremonial stuff and get right to playing as soon as the teams are warmed up. But since they're paying for ice time already, why not skip intros and the anthem and get the Zamboni out there so the kids can play on a clean sheet to start the game?

--The eyes of the men's college basketball world will be on Durham on Jan. 29 when Maine (currently 3-10) visits UNH (2-13).

--Congratulations to Dover boys hockey coach Steve Riker and his wife Jo on the birth of their first child last Saturday. Steve was present for the birth in the afternoon and said he could have made it to Concord for Dover's game that night against Bow, but decided against it. Probably a wise move.